Chapter 300: Webtoon Special Edition – Extra 12 Corin and His Children (5)

“This humble son wishes to travel! To be exact, I wish to embark on a journey through the jianghu!”

At our son’s sudden declaration, Hwaran and I were left stunned for a moment.

“W-wait… are you saying you want to go traveling through the jianghu?”

A journey through the jianghu. What exactly was that? It was said to be the time when martial artists first went out into the central world.

Training martial arts, taking down some bandits, resolving conspiracies of evil sects, and things like that.

‘But aren’t we the evil sect?’

Is this really okay?

I quietly asked Hyeok.

“Son. Isn’t a journey through the jianghu something that those… from the righteous side of the martial world do?”

“If the purpose lies in justice and the act in chivalry, what meaning is there in distinguishing between righteous and evil?”

“……Those are definitely not words a five-year-old should be saying.”

“Father, this son is a descendant of the God of the Sun and the Asura God. Is it not natural that I be different from the children of ordinary mortals?”

“Hwa! Our son is strange!”

“…….”

While I exchanged words with Hyeok, Hwaran merely watched him in silence. And the conclusion she reached was decisive.

“No.”

“Why, mother?”

“If I say no, then it’s no. How old are you to be talking about traveling?”

“If we speak of age, Mother Hwa was under ten when—”

“Hey, brat! Are you trying to make your father out to be a criminal?”

Hwa is an adult! An adult! Until recently she believed babies were brought by storks, but she’s an adult!

“I’m also against it, Hyeok. You’re far too young to travel.”

Ran also stepped in.

But Hyeok’s determination did not seem to waver.

“In martial arts, this son already surpasses the sect’s first-rate warriors, and in study I have reached the level of Knowing Knowledge (fifteen years). I lack nothing compared to the youths who depart for the jianghu.”

“Hyeok……”

Ran looked at me, hesitating about what to say. Mm, that look was clearly asking me to do something.

“Son. Lately there have been requests for dramas for the young leader’s palace budget, haven’t there?”

— He flinched!

“Some of the titles sounded familiar to me. Things like The Sage and the Dragon or The Invincible of the East.”

On Earth they were classic, somewhat old dramas, but in this world they were practically an absolute novelty.

“Dramas and novels differ greatly from reality. I understand that you feel stifled in the young leader’s palace, but…”

“Father.”

“Yes?”

“Do you believe that this son is unaware that fiction and reality are different?”

“…….”

Ah. If I say “yes,” he’ll get angry, won’t he?

“This son merely wishes, like a wandering knight, to make known the greatness of the Heavenly Sect.”

“……Continue.”

“Even though the Heavenly Sect has become the state religion of the empire, the world still perceives us as a demonic sect.”

Hyeok’s argument was as follows if journeys through the jianghu had been a means used exclusively by the righteous faction to promote their image and demonstrate why they were righteous, then the Heavenly Sect should also appropriate it to build its own image.

After all, ordinary people tend to admire the group closest to them, and in this way they could exert influence over the central martial world under the name of the Heavenly Sect.

“Ugh… that sounds convincing.”

“Hey.”

Hwaran pinched my cheek. It hurt.

“Either way, no.”

“Mother!”

“Listen to your mother. Before you earn yourself a beating.”

“Ugh…!”

“Hwaran… if you just suppress him like that, the child will rebel.”

“Shut up. You’re not helping with parenting at all.”

“…….”

Since it was true that, being busy, I had left the children almost entirely in their care, I stayed quiet.

“In any case, no. If I say no, it’s no.”

Faced with Hwa’s firmness, Hyeok turned away with a face full of defiance.

***

“It’s because she’s worried.”

In the bedroom of the sect leader’s palace, Ran rested her head on my arm and spoke.

“Well, it’s not that I don’t understand how Hwa feels.”

Judging by the way Hwa, who was surely listening, did not deny it, it was clear that she too was worried about Hyeok.

“But they say he’s been going on a hunger strike lately. That does worry me.”

“I’ve been secretly sneaking him snacks.”

Ran laughed softly, saying that no matter how much he throws tantrums, he’s still a child.

“And what do you think? About Hyeok going out into the jianghu?”

“If he were a normal five-year-old, I would’ve taken it as a whim… but Hyeok isn’t a normal child.”

After all, he was my and Hwaran’s son. His individual strength already surpassed that of elite warriors, and he had also inherited an indestructible body of steel; he wouldn’t be hurt easily.

“Granting everything a child wants is also a problem, but blocking him outright isn’t the solution either.”

“……Shut up.”

At some point Hwa had taken control and pinched my cheek. I said it hurt…

“This is all your fault for bringing in weird dramas and novels.”

“Ggh… I admit I was a bit careless.”

Who would have thought that the works I brought out of boredom would influence the children.

No, at that age they weren’t supposed to be interested in that kind of thing, that’s why I didn’t see it coming!

Even in Arden, the children had been caught watching strange romance movies; in many ways, I was having a questionable educational impact.

At that moment, Ran smiled as if she had come up with a brilliant idea.

“Then how about this?”

After hearing Ran’s proposal, we both nodded naturally.

At this level well, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

***

The young leader’s journey through the Jianghu was decided.

If someone had heard about it, they would have complained about what kind of journey a child barely five years old could possibly make, but those who knew that the young leader’s intelligence and martial arts far surpassed most first-rate warriors did not consider it impossible.

“Young leader… please return safely.”

“Haha. Isn’t it just a month? There’s nothing to worry about.”

Young leader Kang Hyeok was granted exactly one month of travel through the Jianghu.

Keeping him separated from his parents for too long at such a young age was also problematic, so that was the compromise they reached.

For any martial artist, a month was nothing, but for Kang Hyeok, who was only five years old, thirty nights away were already a full-fledged adventure.

And so his journey began.

Kang Hyeok was excited, wondering what experiences awaited him.

“Yah! Tasha!”

At the coachman’s shout, Hyeok nearly reacted with annoyance.

As the young leader of the Heavenly Sect, he had received exquisite treatment since birth. His status was even higher than that of the imperial crown prince.

After all, he was the son of gods.

In essence, he was no different from a minor god.

That is to say, unlike his parents, he was accustomed to noble treatment as something ordinary.

‘It’s natural. This man doesn’t know my status.’

Hyeok boarded the carriage with patience unbecoming of someone of such high birth.

— Meow!

At that moment, a black cat jumped into the carriage behind him.

“Hey. This is a carriage for people. Get down immediately.”

— Myaa…

The cat showed no intention of leaving.

The coachman intervened.

“Leave it. It looks like a parentless cat. That too is fate, don’t you think?”

“That’s what you think?”

Since the owner of the carriage said so, Hyeok decided to ignore the cat’s presence.

But then the cat sat directly on his lap.

“Haha. For a beast, you’re surprisingly brazen.”

Though his words were solemn, his hand began to pet the cat without him realizing it.

Then—

— Rattle!

“Kh…!”

The journey was terrible.

For someone who had only ever used magical automatic carriages of the western continent, it was an indescribable torture.

“Hey, couldn’t you drive more carefully?”

“And what complaints does a child have? Endure it as best you can.”

“Grr…”

Hyeok wanted to retort at the disrespect, but once again held himself back.

He looked at the cat to see if it had been frightened, but the black cat was sleeping soundly despite the jolting.

‘Am I the only one bothered by this…?’

Meanwhile, he imagined the heroic scenes from the martial arts novels and dramas he had read.

‘First I should find bandits. I’ll punish those bastards who oppress the people and make my name famous.’

After all, what is the Jianghu without bandits?

However, until reaching the city, not a single bandit appeared, not even a wild beast.

As they neared the city, Hyeok noticed something strange and asked the coachman.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t there any bandits around here?”

“Bandits? There aren’t any around here.”

The region they were traveling through was near the Hundred Thousand Mountains, territory administered by the Heavenly Sect.

Since Hwaran became leader, she exterminated monsters and bandits so frequently that they had practically disappeared.

“Ah…”

Mother already did all the work!

Hyeok sighed at Hwaran’s excessive efficiency.

‘No… if the people aren’t suffering, that’s what matters most.’

Perhaps having nothing to do was, in fact, a good thing.

‘Should I go farther?’

If he continued this way, he would enter Kunlun territory, but even there security was strict. He would have to travel even farther.

Upon arriving in the city, he decided to look for an inn.

“Welcome! Oh, little one, where are your parents?”

The innkeeper asked, but Hyeok held onto his straw hat.

“Do you think I’m someone who clings to his parents’ skirts?”

The innkeeper had many things he wanted to say, but held back. The child carried an air that was far too noble.

“What will you order?”

“Ahem. Plain noodles and bamboo liquor—”

“We don’t sell alcohol to minors.”

“…Then just water.”

What a peculiar child.

The noodles arrived quickly.

“Hm! So these are the plain noodles that Jianghu warriors eat!”

He took a bite and frowned.

“…Bland.”

They weren’t bad, but the flavor was far too light.

For someone accustomed to luxurious banquets, it was disappointing.

“…So this is how meager the food of the common people is.”

Through somewhat strange reasoning, Hyeok reached that conclusion.

— Meow!

He ordered dumplings for the cat.

***

The month-long journey was harsher and more boring than expected.

Transportation was uncomfortable, food was scarce, and shared inns were full of snorers and people with terrible sleeping habits.

“If this keeps up, I’ll return without accomplishing anything…”

His dreamed-of Jianghu was nothing like this.

Just as he was returning to the inn, he heard murmurs.

“They say a strange monster has been appearing in the lake lately.”

“A monster now?”

“It’s so strong that the imperial government is forming an extermination force.”

“Hey!”

Hyeok approached immediately.

“Where are they recruiting that force?”

This was his chance!

***

Though it was called a lake, its size was enormous.

Hyeok boarded a huge ship for the first time in his life.

He had passed all the tests.

His level was already brushing against first-rate.

“We’re setting sail! Prepare for combat!”

The sails were raised.

‘Before returning, I’ll create a feat to tell Father and Mother about.’

— Meow!

Hyeok petted the cat.

“Are you excited too?”

But then—

— Crash!

“Hey… waves?! Waves in a lake?!”

The sky darkened, the water churned violently.

“We’re going to die!”

“It’s the monster!”

Hyeok clung to the railing with the cat in his arms.

“So monsters can create waves!”

At that moment, he thought he heard music.

— London calling~ to the faraway towns—

— What inhuman music!

— Let my music roar! Listen to the rock and roll of the successor of the Heavenly Demon Michael Jackson!

【The One Who Walks on the Moon, MOONWALK】

— A person is walking backward while playing a harp!

“…It must be my imagination.”

“Meow.”

The black cat covered its ears.